Pricewatch

· The average price of a house in Scotland is £82,068 (compared with a UK average of £134,100). Prices rose by 19.8 per cent over the last year (compared with 18.6 per cent across the UK).

· Scottish housing is the most affordable in the UK. The average homebuyer spends 11.3 per cent of gross income on mortgage payments (compared with 13.6 across the UK).

· Property prices are highest in Edinburgh, where they are now beyond the reach of most first-time buyers.

· Scottish first-time buyers are older on average - 38 - than elsewhere in the UK (average age 32), says the Halifax. The next highest is in Northern Ireland, where the typical age of first-time buyers is 34.

· Rentals average £300 a month for a one-bedroom flat; £360 for a two-bed; £475 for a three-bed semi; and £550 for a four-bed detached property, according to the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

· There is a lot of interest in the letting market in Dundee, says Paul Letley of J&E Shepherd. 'A large number of investors have come to the area from other parts of the UK to purchase investment properties.'

· The greatest rental demand in Edinburgh is for one-bedroom flats, says a spokesman for Dove Davies & Partners, who adds: 'There is a large number of two-bed properties available. Rents have fallen to reduce voids. With capital values rising, yields have been reduced but overall long-term returns are attracting more investors into the market.'